The geniculate ganglion (from Latin genu, for "knee") is a bilaterally paired special sense ganglion of the intermediate nerve component of the facial nerve (CN VII). It is situated within facial canal of the head. It contains cell bodies of first-order unipolar sensory neurons which convey gustatory (taste) afferents from taste receptors of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue by way of the chorda tympani, and of the palate by way of the greater petrosal nerve, From the ganglion, the proximal fibres proceed to the gustatory (i.e...